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Yemen on brink of ‘major catastrophe’: UN aid chief
ADEN, Dec 1, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned Saturday
that Yemen was “on the brink of a major catastrophe”, as the world body
pushes for peace talks in the impoverished and war-wracked country.
His comments came after renewed deadly clashes between Huthi rebels and
pro-government forces in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, vital for the flow
of humanitarian aid.
“Yemen is on the brink of a major catastrophe,” Lowcock said, as he wrapped
up a visit to the country.
He said conditions had deteriorated alarmingly since his last visit in
October 2017 to Yemen, which the United Nations has termed the world’s worst
humanitarian crisis.
“In Aden, I met emaciated children so malnourished they could barely open
their eyes,” Lowcock said in a statement.
“Humanitarian assistance helps many of these children recover. But I also
heard heartbreaking stories of children relapsing again and again because
their families simply can’t afford food or proper medical care,” he said.
Lowcock reiterated the UN’s readiness to play a role to ensure that the
rebel-held Hodeida port, a key entry point for imports and aid, can remain
open.
Under heavy international pressure, Saudi-backed pro-government forces have
largely suspended an offensive launched in June to take the port city.
Sporadic clashes have however continued since a fragile truce began on
November 13.
– Peace talks face ‘setbacks’ –
Fighting on Friday in the east and south of Hodeida left 10 fighters dead,
an official and medical sources told AFP on Saturday.
Medical sources confirmed the bodies of eight rebels had been transferred
to hospitals, and that two fighters with pro-government forces were also
killed.
Intermittent clashes continued on Saturday, Hodeida residents told AFP by
phone.
Saudi Arabia accused the Huthis of launching a “military projectile” across
the border Friday, saying it hit a house and injured two people in the
kingdom, the official SPA news agency reported.
The violence follows a visit to Hodeida last month by UN envoy Martin
Griffiths to press for talks.
The proposed peace talks have been backed by both the rebels and the Saudi-
led government and were expected to take place in Sweden next week.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, however, has played down the early
December schedule and said he hoped talks would start “this year”.
“But, as you know, there have been some setbacks,” he said on Thursday.
Previous talks planned for September in Geneva failed to get underway as
the Huthi delegation never left Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa, arguing
that the United Nations could not guarantee their safe return.
Lowcock said it was “not too late” to pull back Yemen from the brink but
warned that more resources were needed.
“Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian operation, but in 2019 it will
need to be substantially bigger,” he said.
Donors this year have provided $2.3 billion for the 2018 response plan, or
about 80 per cent of requirements, he added.
According to UN figures, nearly 10,000 people have been killed since the
Saudi-led coalition joined the conflict in 2015 to bolster the government
against Huthi rebels.
UN agencies say that 14 million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1932 hrs